Toulouse power into play-offs

24 Jan 2010

The French giants took a step closer to their fourth European title with a 19-13 win over Sale on Sunday.

Toulouse, who have former Springboks Shaun Sowerby and Daan Human on their books, are one of four French sides who’ve made it through to the final eight. They’ll play Stade Francais in a quarterfinal in early April.

Jean de Villiers’ Munster earned the No 1 ranking and will face Northampton in their playoff, while Jacques Cronje and Eduard Coetzee (who scored a try in the 41-20 win over Glasgow) will fancy their chances when Biarritz line up Ospreys. The Welsh club will be without Ricky Januarie in this fixture as he’s due to return to Cape Town in preparation for the Super 14.

Leinster snatched a draw against London Irish on Saturday thanks to a Jonny Sexton drop-goal, a game where CJ van der Linde wasn’t at his best. The Bok prop will get a chance to prove his worth when he goes up against Clermont in the final playoff.

EUROPEAN CUP QUARTER-FINALS
Munster (1) v Northampton Saints (8)
Biarritz Olympique (2) v Ospreys (7)
Toulouse (3) v Stade Français (6)
Leinster (4) v Clermont Auvergne (5)



9 Comments

  • 1.grant10: Reply to this comment
    24 Jan 2010, 20:16 pm

    french make there move

  • 2.Nils: Reply to this comment
    24 Jan 2010, 20:18 pm

    Go Toulouse. Hopefully there will be Munster-Toulouse final.

  • 3.The_Green_Machine_is_a_Mean_Machine: Reply to this comment
    24 Jan 2010, 20:22 pm

    RAPPORT SE MA IS ***!

  • 4.Paddylock: Reply to this comment
    25 Jan 2010, 00:54 am

    Tough draw for the Irish but if Stade win their game, Leinster will have a practice run in Stade de France before the final against Munster.

    Clermont are possibly the strongest squad left in the competition though. Leinster will have to be on top of their game to beat them.

    We’ll see how the sides shape up after the 6N.

  • 5.whatever: Reply to this comment
    25 Jan 2010, 04:12 am

    CJ is worth fokal. Did nothing but go down injured every 5 mins.
    He can stay up North, do’nt need him.

  • 6.Big Hit: Reply to this comment
    25 Jan 2010, 04:32 am

    @whatever: he didn’t have his best game. BJ played well enough for Ulster.

    @Nils: hopefully not, Munster are boring. As a neutral I’d like to see Clermont v Saints in the final.

  • 7.uhuru: Reply to this comment
    25 Jan 2010, 08:37 am

    Great comeback from the french sides, they were horrible last year. But what’s up with the English sides? They have been quite inconsistent in the past few years.

    @Nils: I agree, they have been the top2 teams in the northern hempisphere over the last couple of years. Lets just hope it isn’t an all french final!

  • 8.Cheetha Champs: Reply to this comment
    25 Jan 2010, 11:34 am

    Munster vs Leinster final IMHO.

    Hell of a tough task to go to RDS or Thomond Park and win. Definitely an Irish winner again this year.

  • 9.FoxAche: Reply to this comment
    25 Jan 2010, 12:09 pm

    The Toulouse/Sale game wasn’t a great spectacle, but the Leicester Tigers/ Ospreys was a cracker – a real war of attrition.

    @ Big Hit. Clermont ended up on the wrong half of the table to have a home quarter-final. They are a tough side to beat at home – quite a daunting home crowd behind the team. They will be hard-pressed to beat Leinster away, but would then hope for an upset at the top of the table to catch a home semi (or do they play home and away games in the semis?)

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